the garden State's longtime senior US senator is bowing out of the Democratic primary but he's keeping the door open to run as an independent in November in a nearly 10-minute long video posted to social media last night EMB battled Senator Bob Menendez said he's hopeful he'll be exonerated during his corruption trial that begins in May allowing him to pursue the candidacy in time for the general election Menendez is facing 18 Federal counts including char es of bribery and obstruction of justice for taking cash and other items in exchange for doing political favors had he entered the Democratic primary he would have faced a highly competitive race against first lady Tammy Murphy and sitting Congressman Andy Kim instead as senior correspondent Brenda Flanigan reports Menendez risks becoming a spoiler for the party I will not file for the Democratic primary this June incumbent Senator Bob Menendez pushed by both looming corruption trial and a pending primary announced he'll skip the June 4th ballot but Jersey senior Senators keeping his political options open even as he fights federal charges that he and wife naen accepted gold bars wads of cash and a luxury car in return for favoring foreign interests I am hopeful that my exoneration will take place this summer and allow me to pursue my candidacy as an independent Democrat in the general election I hate to to be the the killjoy but I really think this is Menendez is trying to Stave off his political expiration for a few more months political observers say menendez's adamant refusal to just get out of the way and his potential to be a vote sucking spoiler is giving his party an election migraine this is the Senator's second corruption trial his first ended in a hung jury where he vowed political revenge and the Democratic party are going to have are are biting their nails a little bit at the thought of a vindictive Bob Menendez um you know hanging around the ghost of New Jersey corruption past shadowing their every move Menendez faced almost certain elimination in the upcoming US Senate primary he's polling in single digits against Democrats first lady Tammy Murphy Progressive Patricia Campos Medina and Congressman Andy Kim who derided the senator independent Democrat declaration as selfish he's just trying to soften the blow in terms of just what is the actual truth which is he would be running against Democrats and so you know he can use all the semantics that he wants to try to make himself feel better about this but um you know what he is doing is would be counter to the Democratic party that he's been a member of frankly he should be thinking about his legacy and what he wants New Jersey to to be like in the future and what and and allowing the voters to make a choice based on the candidates that are campaigning that have full teams out there and who are putting their Vision forward for New Jersey Murphy posted on X Senator Mendez continues to place himself ahead of what's best for new jerseyans and the Democratic party as a whole he shouldn't have the privilege of serving in the senate in any capacity it's all tasty campaign fodder for Jersey Republicans who haven't won a US senate seat here since since 1972 a good Republican campaign uh with a third party candidate who's siphoning votes from Democrats certainly makes it more interesting to follow I think it's still uphill climb uh but it gives Republicans another advantage that they're going to need to pull off what would amount to a miracle to win to win a race like this so suddenly now you come to New Jersey here's a state that supposed to be calm Waters calm Blue Waters no one has suspended dime uh you know it's it's not even on the radar and now it's on the radar that could force Democrats to spend more protecting the New Jersey seat and their parties razor thin margin in the Senate more than half his caucus there have asked Menendez to resign Pennsylvania's John fedman reposted menendez's video with this pot shot dibs on your parking space what I think fetman did was he actually refocused us on the news here which is not just that um that he's threatening to to to play the spoiler but also that the incumbent US senator is now leaving you know is now is now saying he's not running for reelection menendez's corruption trials slated to begin May 6th he's got until June 4th to file as an independent I'm Brenda Flanagan Flanagan NJ Spotlight News NJ Spotlight News